Calvary Public Hospital Bruce is unsure how internal documents detailing the requisition of drugs of dependence ended up on a Barton street.
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The hospital said while it is investigating the issue further, it believes it's an isolated occurrence and not part of a bigger problem.
The three documents, provided to The Canberra Times, were found by a member of the public near Brisbane Avenue on the ground.
They detail drug orders for two different wards between December 2 and 3 in 2003 and appear to have previously been filed at the hospital.
The documents include the names and signatures of nurses and pharmacists and the drug and quantity required.
A Calvary spokeswoman emphasised the documents did not contain patient details.
She said they were investigating how the documents ended up on the street but believe it is an isolated issue.
Pharmacy requisitions are used to record staff responsible for the authorisation and movement of pharmaceuticals within the hospital.
"Calvary takes very seriously the privacy and confidentiality of all patient records as outlined in Calvary Privacy Policy drafted in conjunction with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner," the spokeswoman said.
"The documents forwarded to Calvary are pharmacy requisitions not patient records and do not contain any patient information.
"Calvary Public Hospital Bruce is investigating this situation further, however at this time believes that this is an isolated incident and does not constitute a larger problem.
"Calvary Public Hospital Bruce will continue to ensure rigorous care is undertaken to ensure all documents, including patient information, are handled securely in accordance with the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care standards."
